Healed
by Kaya Kazaki
Summary: She didn't just heal his wound, but his heart as well. GaaSaku


_Sakura's POV_

The day I got called into Tsunade's office four years after the war ended and we had gotten rid of the Akatsuki, I didn't know what to expect but it definitely wasn't this.

"Sakura, Sasuke has been spotted a few miles from the Hidden Sand. The Kazekage is going to go after him but he _specifically _requested you for the mission" Tsunade said when the ANBU had left.

"Me?! Why me?! I'm just a medical ninja! I'm not complaining but shouldn't you send someone stronger than me? I doubt I'll be able to do much for the _Kazekage _of all people" I nervously waved my hands around. She scared me out of my skin when she interrupted.

"SAKURA! You are not just any medical ninja! You are equal, if not better than me!" she shouted. "You have gotten extremely strong these past six years and not just in the physical way" she added with a smirk.

"Hai" I muttered, and that was it. I had gone to Suna so many times I knew the way without a guide but Gaara was going to meet me halfway because Sasuke was seen only a few miles from where we were to meet. And I was off.

I packed my medical pack along with some chakra pills from Choji to give it a boost, an extra pair of gloves for punching large things and some food.

I was walking through the desert looking for the land mark Tsunade described would be where the meeting place is. Then I saw it, an old twisted tree that was at least fifty feet tall. I shielded my eyes against a small gust of wind and continued forward.

I found Gaara sitting under a sand lean-to to stay out of the blistering sun, one leg straight, one bent, with his arm resting on his knee. I couldn't help but stare at the man that the boy I had saved from the Akatsuki had become.

His clothing hadn't changed much from the last time I had seen him, but he had matured very well. His blood red hair had gotten about two inches longer and it fell past his eyes and almost to his nose.

Since his demon was removed, he had been able to sleep and the dark shadows that had surrounded his eyes had faded a little making them less menacing.

When he noticed me, he silently stood and brushed off his pants, and I noticed for the first time there was a long sword tucked into his belt.

"Shall we go?" he asked politely gesturing to the east. I mentally shook my head to clear it.

"Yes Kazekage-sama" I said trying to be polite. He picked up his gourd and adjusted it on his back effortlessly. He started walking and I followed.

"You can just call me Gaara" he said after a few seconds as he shook his hair out of his face. My cheeks involuntarily turned a light shade of pink.

'_**He's kinda cute when he does that' **_said my Inner smugly.

'_What are you saying?! He's the KAZEKAGE! Stop giving me those images!'_ I ranted back.

'_**He's cute and you KNOW it!' **_

Me and my Inner silently argued about the varying cuteness of the Kazekage. We walked for several hours, every once and a while, Gaara changed direction slightly. Slowly we came to the edge of the desert where it began to turn into forest.

"Let's camp here for the night. The Uchiha shouldn't be too far ahead" he pointed to a small spring surrounded by trees.

"Okay Ka- Gaara" I agreed. I tried to look unfazed like he did but I was _exhausted_. My feet ached and my throat felt like sandpaper. I regretted drinking most of my water before I got to the meeting place.

I dug through my backpack and found the blanket I packed. I rolled it out on the grass and grabbed my now-empty water bottle and went to the spring and filled it, doing a quick check with my chakra to purify it, a handy trick I learned from Tsunade-shishou. I took a long drink, the water washing over my parched throat.

I wiped my mouth and was about to put it away when Gaara crept into my thoughts. He didn't show it but as far as I knew he had nothing to drink the whole way we were walking. I gathered my courage and turned around to face him. He was sitting against a tree staring off into space _again_.

"Um, Gaara do you want a drink?" I held out the canister to him. He stared for a second then he nodded and took it, taking a long gulp and wiping his sleeve across his mouth afterward. I took back the water bottle but he continued to stare at me and it was starting to get on my nerves.

"Why are you staring at me?! I'm not a meal!" I shouted at him. He looked surprised for a second then his face melted back into that emotionless mask that I was coming to love.

"You do not fear me?" he asked suddenly. I sat down on my blanket, debating on how to answer. I chose my next words carefully.

"I respect you as the Kazekage, but…no, I do not fear you" I watched his expression carefully and I could've sworn I saw a flicker of amusement behind his eyes.

"Hn" he stood up took off his gourd and sword. Hey, that rhymed.

"I'll take first shift" he said. I was confused for only a second then it clicked into place.

"A-are you sure? I mean, I could do it, you need your strength in case we get into a battle" I said, but Gaara cut me off with two words.

"You're rambling" he said. I flushed and stretched out on my blanket, before I could look more like an idiot. I stared up at the millions of stars, picking out constellations. I turned over and looked at Gaara. He was leaning against a tree, staring into the night. My last thought before I slipped into unconsciousness was _'I wonder how many girls would try to assassinate me when they learn I'm on an S-ranked mission with the Kazekage' _

I woke to someone shaking my shoulder. I saw Gaara crouching in front of me. I shot straight up, regretting it instantly as a wave of wooziness washed over me. I shook my head, clearing my thoughts.

"What?" I asked him. He had his sword strapped to his back, under his gourd of sand. He stood up and brushed off his hands.

"The Uchiha is close. We should get going to avoid losing the trail" I hopped up and quickly packed away my blanket. I walked over to the spring and filled my water bottle one last time. I looked at Gaara and he nodded. We both took off into the trees.

We jumped side by side through the trees for about half an hour my cheeks just the slightest bit pink the whole time.

Suddenly Gaara held up his hand and stopped. He also had masked his chakra, and I did the same. I was about to ask what was wrong when I sensed a familiar chakra signature…_his_ chakra signature.

I peeked through the branches and had to stifle a gasp. For about 100 yards, it was _all_ rock. There were several large boulders dotted here and there, but at the end of the rocks, it just stopped at cliff ledge. I hadn't realized we had gone up so far.

Sasuke was only a few feet away, walking slowly across the cliff. Then he stopped, he turned slightly in my direction. Suddenly, quicker than I could react, he pulled a kunai out of nowhere and hurled it at me. Gaara shoved me out of the way just in time.

We both hopped out of the tree.

"So, the Leaf and the Sand have made an alliance" Sasuke chuckled. "How pathetic" Gaara crossed his arms and spoke in a voice so cold it could rival Sasuke's.

"This time, you're not getting away" his sand had already begun to creep out of his gourd.

"Ha, even though you had your demon sucked out, you _still_ use your sand?" Sasuke taunted but letting his eyes fade to his Sharingan. I pulled on my gloves and gritted my teeth. What, you think I'd still love him after he tried to _stick a chidori through my chest?! _

Gaara's sand shot forward and as it did, he unsheathed his sword. Sasuke easily dodged it but when he was still in the air Gaara lurched forward, slashing at him. The sound of sword against sword clanged in my ears, making them ring. They both hopped back. Gaara stood in a defensive position; he held his sword across his chest, which caught my eye as it glittered in the fading light…wait, fading light?! It was still morning. I looked up. The sky was turning gray and cloudy, like it was going to rain soon.

"Great, could this day _possibly_ get any worse?!" I muttered to myself.

"Why don't we finish this quickly?" he said, no longer smirking. Suddenly Susano'o exploded around him, first skeleton, then skin, then armor. The apparition pulled a bow and arrow made from pure chakra, out of nowhere. I stared in awe. It still amazed me the second time I saw it.

"Shit! Gaara run!" I shouted at him. I had seen this justu only once before and barely lived through it. He seemed to catch the urgency in my voice. He began running around Sasuke, trying to keep from being a clear target. Then he aimed at me. On instinct I began to run around like Gaara…not fast enough. He released his arrow.

I was lucky enough to avoid being hit by the arrow, but the shockwave sent me flying into a boulder. There went two, no, three ribs. I healed it quickly, my training with Tsunade paying off nicely.

That one arrow must have been all he had because when I pulled myself out of the crater, Sasuke's right eye was leaking blood and Susano'o was gone. I saw Gaara and Sasuke in a heated sword fight. It looked pretty even until Sasuke did something unexpected.

Instead of aiming at Gaara's chest, he swiped at his leg where his defense was weak. I knew it was going to happen before it did. Gaara retreated, holding a large gash on his thigh that was pouring out blood and pooling around him in dangerous amounts.

"Now's my chance!" I say to myself, while Sasuke thinks he's won. I leaped out of the crater and charged chakra through my fist.

"You forgot about me!" I yell when I know he can't dodge. And he couldn't. I punch him and smirked satisfyingly as I felt bones snap under my fist. He coughed up blood. Yuck.

He went flying (with much banging along the way) into a boulder which seemed to explode on contact. He stood up, popping bones back into place. It sent shivers up my spine. Gaara tried stepping forward, but he winced and his bad leg buckled beneath him.

"No, it's my turn. No one tries to electrocute me and then gets away with it" I said. Before he could repair himself, I ran forward and tried to punch him. I can't say I was surprised when he dodged.

I managed to get in a few hits in the 20 minutes we spent locked in a taijutsu fight, but so did he and he didn't give me time to heal myself. Finally, I managed a lucky blow to his gut and stepped back to heal myself. It didn't take long to heal the torn tendons, bruised muscles and broken bones, but Sasuke had some kind of poison of his sword and my muscles were getting wobbly and my heart rate speeding up and slowing down sporadically.

Despite the consequences later, I did a hasty purge of my body, getting rid of the poison.

A purge is when I focus my chakra on my liver and kidneys and push them past their natural abilities. It cleansed the poison from my system, but it had some severe consequences.

For one, it would shorten my life span about a year or two. Two, once the adrenaline rush that came with it faded, my body would shut down to replenish the lost electrolytes.

I stumbled over to Sasuke and just for the hell of it; I snapped his femur and broke his hip. He wouldn't be walking anytime soon. I leaned in close and smirked seductively.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to beat the shit out of you" I whispered before nailing him in the face. I grinned at his broken nose. Then I remembered a certain redhead with a serious leg wound about 30 feet behind me.

"Gaara!" I ran over to him, dropping to my knees beside him. "Let me see your leg. I don't know if I have enough chakra to completely heal it but I can stop the bleeding" I was already pinpointing my chakra in my hands as he leaned back and stretched out his leg with a wince.

"This might sting a little" I warned. I press my compressed ball of chakra into his leg. He shut his eyes and clenched his sword so hard, his knuckles turned white.

"Sorry" I mumbled.

"It's nothing. I'm fine" he said but his still-white knuckles begged to differ. Just as I'm reaching the last of my chakra, it finally stops bleeding.

"I didn't think it was so deep or so big" I mumbled, wiping my brow. Suddenly, I felt a drop of water on my hand. I looked up. I hadn't realized it had gotten so dark…wait, dark?! It was still only the evening! The sky was covered in dark clouds. It was going to storm, and soon.

"Let's get out of here. It won't help if you get sick" I helped him up and put one arm around my shoulder. I was helping him limp to the shelter of the trees when a chill shot up my back. Only one that _he_ could bring on.

"Sakura?" he looked at my face and I could swear there was concern in his eyes.

"He's still kicking" was all I said as I hopped, no leaped to the left to avoid a flying kunai.

"Hmm, good reflexes Sakura, you have seemed to grow from the pathetic weakling you once were" he taunted. I looked at him, anger blazing inside me.

Suddenly, he lurched forward, out of nowhere his chidori blazed in his hand.

"You're not winning this time" Gaara hiss. I didn't put the pieces together until Sasuke was just seconds away from us. Gaara stepped in front of me and before I had time to react, Sasuke was directly in front of us. He drew his hand back and snapped it forward without hesitation. Gaara grit his teeth audibly and then there was a sickening sound of blood being spilled.

"Well, well, well, I guess you just can't wait to die" Sasuke said. I could only stand frozen in shock as I watch Sasuke slowly drain the life force from Gaara, who had already died once.

He coughed up blood and his legs began to tremble violently, but in the mist of all that, he smirked.

"You're mine" he croaked in a strangled voice. Sasuke's smirk vanished to be replaced by a mix of terror and realization. He tried pulling his hand away but Gaara locked on to it with an iron grip.

"You're not going anywhere" he smirked as sand swarmed around him, it wrenched Sasuke's arm from his grip but it was too late.

Gaara raised one hand in the air and said "Sand Coffin!" the sand crunched down to half its size and blood oozed from the sand.

He coughed up more blood, a lot more, and collapsed. My heart seemed to drop with him as I notice the scary pool of blood around him.

Tears were dangerously close to pouring from my face, but now is not the time for tears. He wasn't dead yet.

I ate three chakra pills (which would only make the effects of the purge worse), and went to work. I worked so much chakra into one ball; if I tried to put in anymore I would lose control of it. I gently worked it into his system, letting his body get used to my chakra in him.

I don't know how long I sat there in the pouring rain, hoping against hope that he would come back to me…when he finally did.

His eyes clench shut and then weakly open.

The dam of tears that I had been shutting up had burst. They flowed out of my eyes like waterfalls of happiness and relief.

"That was probably the most _reckless, stupid, idiotic, foolish_, thing I have ever seen! I doubt even _Naruto_ could top that!" I yelled. But it was hard to be mad at his face, so twisted in pain. I sighed, all my anger disappearing in that one breath.

"Well at least you're alive. I don't know what I would do without you" I said, tears springing into my eyes.

_Gaara's POV_

"That was probably the most _reckless, stupid, idiotic, foolish, _thing I have ever seen! I doubt even _Naruto_ could top that! " She sighed. I allowed myself a small smile on the inside.

'_I never thought I would see the day I would be compared to Naruto-san' _I thought.

"Well at least you're alive. I don't know what I would do without you" My eyes widened and a weird feeling flooded my chest, making my heart flutter unfamiliarly.

But surprise wasn't done with me yet. Not by a long shot.

Tears sprang into her eyes and before I could react, she pressed her lips on mine. My eyes widened. I saw Kankuro doing things like this with other girls, but had never even _dreamed_ that I would actually get a chance to do it. But despite my efforts, my vision blurred and blood loss pulled me into unconsciousness.

I woke up to an aching throb in my chest.

Then another sensation came to my senses, but instead of it being painful, it felt soothing.

There were fingers, gentle and soft, stroking through my hair on my forehead, and a voice, humming a slow, deep tune. It was soothing, and made me remember what my father told me in the war.

It felt good but finally, I had to open my eyes. I was staring into the emerald eyes of Sakura. When she saw me awake, she jumped and let out a small squeak whipping her hands off me and clenching them by her sides.

I sat up slowly, fighting the agonizing pain in my right shoulder. I cold breeze make goose bumps pop up along my arms. It was _then _that I noticed I was shirtless. I touched my shoulder and found it heavily bound in bandages. I looked to my left and saw my shirt and cloak, drenched in blood. _My_ blood. I took in my surroundings. We were in small cave, while the rain pounded outside. A small lantern sat next to Sakura, along with our packs.

"Gaara-san, you shouldn't get up, you're going to open your wounds again" she said. I eyed her out of the corner of my eye. '_-san? What happened to—…oh' _then it flooded back to me.

The kiss.

She put a gentle hand on my shoulder, the kindest gesture I have gotten from any other girl other than my sister.

I let her guide me back onto her lap. Even that little movement made me break out in sweat and set my shoulder on fire. I closed my eyes and focused on slowing my heart down. Then the fire was dying down, like someone had just dumped a bucket of water in it. I opened my eyes and saw Sakura's hand on my shoulder, glowing with green chakra. Most of her face was hidden by her long pink bangs.

"Um, G-Gaara-san. A-about what happened…back when we were battling Sasuke. I-I'm sorry" she managed before her voice cracked. From under the shadows, a tear leaked out of her eye.

Don't ask me why I did it. When Temari was complaining about me getting a "girlfriend" she told me that when girls cry, I should at least _try _to comfort them.

Whatever that meant.

I reached up and brushed it away with my thumb. Keeping my face neutral. She flinched and raised her head a little, bringing her face into the light. Was that was Temari meant when she said "beautiful"?

"I…I guess I didn't really mind" the words tumbled from my lips before I could stop them. I regretted them when she flushed a bright red. I think I might have made her angry.

But she stunned me when she smiled softly.

She then parted her lips to speak. Strangely, I found myself tracing them with my eyes. Without thinking, I interrupted her.

"Why?" I blurted. She closed her mouth and looked at him funny.

"'Why' what?" she asked, the innocence in her voice suddenly angering him.

"Why do you treat me like this?! Why…why is it that whenever you get near me like this, my heart starts beating quickly, and I can't swallow?! You're a medic, you should know!" he snapped. Sakura's eyes shot open in surprise before her gaze softened and she gently moved some disturbed hair from my eyes.

Confusion settled in.

"Well, what you're experiencing isn't an illness, Gaara" she said softly, her voice ringing out to him, despite the pounding rain.

He was somewhat relieved to hear that, but if an illness wasn't plaguing him, what was? With great care, she traced the tattoo on my forehead, sending shivers down my spine.

"Gaara, I think you're in love…" she whispered gently. My eyes widened and my heart thumped faster.

"Love?" I muttered, more to myself than to her. She leaned closer, her hair tickling my face.

"Yes. You're in love with me…" she said. I barely admit it today, but I did have a bit of a panic attack right then. Yes, _I _had a _panic attack._

"But…" she leaned even closer and I found myself getting lost in her emerald eyes. Like a paler version of my own.

"I think…I love you too" she breathed. And then she kissed me a second time. But this time, I didn't pass out, I wasn't half dead, and I was actually enjoying this. The way her soft lips were full against mine made my head spin pleasurably.

When she began pulling away, I raised my hand and intertwined it in her silky pink hair. She laughed and rested her hand on mine. I realized something right then. Call it an epiphany of sorts.

The girl I had tried to kill many years ago had change. She still fought for those she loved, and her heart just still just as kind, but she had matured. Her hands we soft, yet covered with calluses from many years of wielding kunai. She had been broken, but no matter how many times someone knocked her down, she picked up the pieces and got back up.

I loved her.

I haven't had much experience with emotions, much less love, but I had a feeling that she could help me.

And now, two years later, Sakura is my wife, and I have a healthy son named Isamu. He has my red hair, but has Sakura's fiery attitude. I have never been more devoted to any other woman in my life; I truly love her with all my heart.

That day, she healed more than my wound; she healed the damage done to me by the hatred in my life. I never thought I would be able to hold my own child because of the demon that had lived inside me. But I did.

Because of the pink-haired woman I had fallen in love with. I had never deserved it, but she gave it to me anyway.

She healed my heart, and I fell in love with Sakura Haruno.


End file.
